ML19309E684
| ML19309E684 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 04/16/1980 |
| From: | Quarantelli E OHIO STATE UNIV., COLUMBUS, OH |
| To: | Regan W Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8004230514 | |
| Download: ML19309E684 (2) | |
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i The Ohio State University Disaster Research Center Derby Hall i
v 154 North Oval Mall Columbus. Ohio 43210 Phone 614 422-5916 April 16, 1980 William H. Regan, Jr., Acting Assistant 1
Director for Environmental Projects Division of Site Safety and Environmental Analysis U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
20555 D2ar Mr. Regan:
The copy of the " Environmental Assessment of the Three Mile Island Unit Re-actor Building Atmosphere..." mailed on April 9 only reached me April 14, obviously too late to meet the April 11 deadline for public comment.
While it is obviously too late to provide any formal feedback, I did want to make one comment. The basic issue as I see it is a loss of credibility by an indeterminate number of area residents with respect to NRC and its acti-vities. As such, technical explanations of different alternative ways of proceeding almost certainly will make no difference in the attitudes and be-liefs of the residents.
(That also comes out clearly in the transcripts of the public hearings on the decontamination of TMI-2).
The problem, there-fore, is one of regaining credibility. A specific strategy for doing that is dependent on knowledge of factors that cannot be known to me, but are probably available in some of the data of the studies listed in Addendum I.
For example, whether a strategy of doing something quickly and getting it over with, or proceeding more slowly and deliberately, would be the best one to reduce psychological stress, is dependent on such factors as people's perceptions of the future, what groups they still trust, and other matters about which some of the listed studies undoubtedly contain information.
If the relevant data were available and pulled out, it might be possible that those categories and classes of people who might be more easily reached could be identified.
It is probably a wrong approach (among other things) to assume everyone can be reached in the same way. On the other hand, or-ganizational credibility once lost, is very difficult to regain. Here it is crucially important that people are neither misinformed nor that things are done which can be interpreted as misleading people. But the specifics of what and what not to do can only be ascertained on the basis of knowledge which probably already conducted studies contain.
I realize the above comments are all very general but I did want to empha-size what I see as the problem, that is lack of credibility, that it cannot be dealt with by tachnical discussions of alternative ways of doing things, and that just as technical matters are analyzed on the basis of data and studies, if you want to deal with human and group factors, you will also have to look at data and studies. No amount of so-called common sense or logic will provide the information which will permit appropriate strategies Polf
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/[D 800.4230514
o e to be devised which are also in line with the values and beliefs of citizens.
The transcripts of the public meetings on the decontamination of TMI-2 ar-rived yesterday. I appreciate receiving them for the Center's library and thank you. Copies of any similar material in the future for our library will also be appreciated.
Sincerely, k, k. b'cMw' E.L. Quarante111 Professor of Sociology Director, Disaster Research Center cer l
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